Upper South

April, 2009
Regional Report

Books

Good Garden Soil
Good garden soil is the key to healthy, beautiful plants. Most gardeners bemoan the fact that their soil is not very good, but all soil can be improved and made garden-worthy. Continuing in their long history of excellent small books, Brooklyn Botanic Garden has recently released Healthy Soils for Sustainable Gardens (Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 2009, $9.95). This practical, all-region guide helps you understand the unique characteristics of your garden's soil and build its natural fertility using recycled and renewable organic and sustainable methods.

Tool or Gardening Product

GardenSoxx
When all else fails and you want a container garden, you can simply cut a hole (or more) in a bag of potting soil. GardenSoxx takes this concept and makes it rather a bit more sophisticated. Compost-filled tubular bags, or "socks," were originally developed for erosion control on disturbed sites as they worked better than the traditional straw bales. The maker of these compost socks for erosion control, Filtrexx Land Improvement Systems, now also offers "garden-size" GardenSoxx, designed to serve as low-maintenance planters for flowers, vegetables, herbs, and other plants. Their Web site, http://www.gardensoxx.com, offers some fascinating uses, including a green roof, arbor, landscape edging, window baskets, and deck rails.